“You advocate the values that prevail in the world today, such as democracy and freedom of speech,” Sarkisian said. “You try to expose problems that exist in Armenia, the government tries to respond to this criticism, and this dialogue is very useful for the country.”

Sarkisian visited RFE’s Armenian Service, locally known as Radio Azatutyun, on May 7, a holiday still marked in some former Soviet Bloc countries as Radio Day in honor of the 19th-century Russian radio pioneer Alexander Popov.

The prime minister said he listens to RFE’s Armenian Service programs, but added that he hoped democratic advances in the country could one day mean the station would no longer be needed.